Letters and Correspondence

Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2011 endorsements

Did you know that most of the antibiotics administered in the United States aren’t used to cure disease, or even used on people? It’s true — 80% of antibiotics are used to accelerate the growth of chickens, pigs, and other animals raised for food.

This overuse accelerates the development of resistant bacteria — “superbugs” that defy medical treatment and put human lives at risk. Children are particularly vulnerable to antibiotic-resistant infections because they are at a greater risk of severe complications, are less able to fight infection naturally, and because fewer antibiotics are approved for use in kids.

This legislation would protect children by limiting the use of some antibiotics to treat animals, and instead reserving their use for humans.